A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a strategy game (usually some type of wargame, especially a strategic-level wargame) where players take turns when playing. This is distinguished from real-time strategy (RTS), in which all players play simultaneously.

Examples

Board games

Many board games are turn based, such as chess, Reversi, checkers, Hare games, and Go, as well as many modern board games.

Turn-based tactics

Turn-based tactical game-play is characterized by the expectation of players to complete their tasks by using the combat forces provided to them, and usually by the provision of a realistic (or at least believable) representation of military tactics and operations. Tactical role-playing games are a part of this genre. Examples include '' Fire Emblem'', '' The Battle for Wesnoth'', '' Poxnora'', ''

Silent Storm ''Silent Storm'' is a 2003 turn-based tactics video game developed by Nival Interactive and published by JoWood. The game is set in a fictionalized World War II Europe with science fiction elements. An advanced game engine, the Silent Storm engi ...

'', '' Steel Panthers: World at War!'', ''

King's Bounty ''King's Bounty'' is a turn-based fantasy video game designed by Jon Van Caneghem and published by New World Computing in 1990. The game follows the player's character, a hero of King Maximus, appointed with the job of retrieving the Sceptre of ...

'', '' Great Big War Game'', ''

Nintendo Wars The ''Wars'' series, also known as and is a series of military-themed turn-based strategy video games, usually developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The series debuted in Japan in August of 1988 with the original ''Famicom ...

'', ''

UniWar ''UniWar'' is a video game for mobile devices, initially released in April 2009 for Android and iOS and then released to other platforms such as Ovi (Nokia) and BlackBerry App World. It is a turn-based strategy game with multiplayer online gamepl ...

'', '' XCOM 2'' and '' Chessaria: The Tactical Adventure''.

Mainstream computer games

After a period of converting board and historic TBS games to computer games, companies began basing computer turn-based strategy games on completely original properties or concepts. The presence of a computer to calculate and arbitrate allows game complexity which is not feasible in a traditional board game. Some well known turn-based strategy games are Sid Meier's '' Civilization'' series, '' Heroes of Might and Magic'' series, '' Panzer General'' series, '' Warlords'' series, and '' Age of Wonders'' series.

Indie games

A further market trend is the rise of "Indie" TBS games (games produced by small groups, independent or only somewhat affiliated with the major elements in the computer games industry). These games often extend or refine already existing TBS games. Examples include Freeciv or Golden Age of Civilizations.

Open-source games

Since turn-based strategy games do not typically require vast amounts of art or modeling, developers willing to volunteer their time can focus on gameplay. Directories like Freecode provide large lists of

open-source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...

, turn-based strategy projects.

Browser-based games

Online browser-based games do not require users to install files and are often free. The Hex Empire set of games is a good example of browser-based games in this genre.

References

{{VideoGameGenre Video game genres Video game terminology